Most of you probably know that Penny just recently published her first picture book — There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight (Random House, 2015), that showcased her enviable chops as a clever wordsmith and humorist — but did you know that “Buttons” was not only Penny’s first published poem, but her first published work for children?

Even though I write quite a bit a poetry, I am not good about submitting it for publication. But when I heard that there was going to be another Poetry Friday Anthology I got busy writing poems for submission. Being a former teacher, I see a real need for the Poetry Friday Anthologies in classrooms. They are an incredible tool.

I looked at the list of holidays and I was drawn to National Button Day. My mom is a seamstress and always had lots of buttons around, so for inspiration I thought of her sewing room. The funny thing is that my husband and I had just spent time with my parents and were driving home from Colorado to Texas so I had been in her sewing room the day before I started the poem.

I wrote as we traveled home in order to meet the submission deadline. I imagined the colorful, shiny buttons she had in jars and the first stanza started taking shape. Then I thought about mom sewing buttons on our clothes and the second stanza fell into place. (I have three sisters and she made most of our clothes. A lot of the time we all four matched.)

I was happy with the first two stanzas but wanted something in the third and final stanza to add emotion and a kid-like element. I played around with it quite a bit before I thought of a teddy bear’s button eyes. I knew the teddy would be the focus of the final stanza but it took some playing around to get it right. Even then I had to edit it because the first version didn’t include the word teddy. It was just implied. I was working with Janet Wong on revisions and she felt the word teddy needed to be included since the poem was for young children. Here is the first version of that stanza that I sent to her:

Buttons, buttons, shiny buttons,

buttons cuddled tight.

Tiny-vest ones,

worn, caressed ones,

buttons wink goodnight.

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If the poem had been illustrated, this would’ve worked but I’m happier with the final version so I’m glad that I needed to revise. Since *Buttons* was the first of any of my work to be published, it was very exciting to receive my copy of the book and turn to my poem. It was a special moment. I couldn’t believe that my name was there with the other poets.

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Needless to say, there was a tremendous cheer in the Alphabet Soup kitchen at the mention of teddy bear button eyes in the last stanza. All the furry helpers are now diehard Penny Klostermann fans. Isn’t “buttons wink goodnight” the best ending? 🙂

Now, please leave your links with the ever-accommodating Mr. Linky by clicking on his BUTTON below (the list of participants will appear on a separate web page). Don’t forget to include the title of the poem you’re sharing or book you’re reviewing in parentheses after your name. 🙂

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Thank you for joining us today. Enjoy the Poetry Friday feast throughout the blogosphere!

Oh, Jama–how I wish I tuned into your beautiful,delectable blog more often!

Thank you, Penny, for your marvelous poem and for its backstory. We all love learning behind-the-scenes secrets. The rhythm is just right–I feel my childhood fingers fluttering through a bowl of buttons. Good memories. And–wowza–CONGRATULATIONS on the publication of your book!

While you are getting ready for National Button Day, we TeachingAuthors will be celebrating Internet Day on October 29th. How has the internet changed YOUR life? My poem, “Miracle and Wonders” considers how modern technology might have helped a lonely farmer’s wife on the prairie.

What an appetizing post–a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach. Blessed Penny to have such a lively context (& friend!) for celebrating her publishing milestone. I love that you included her poem’s backstory as part of the post. Reminded me, so warmly, of my grandmother’s button jar, which led me to appreciate button-beauty and diversity–even to this day! …And as for the button candy–what a delightful addition to jog the memory back to days of fun candy that ofttimes looked better than it tasted. While I’m with Michelle on the button candy eating logistics, I loved the challenge of biting off the buttons sans du papier as often as possible! God bless you and Penny! Thank you for hosting.

Chewable fangs, wax soda bottles, multi-colored fish, candy cigarettes…no wonder I had so many cavities by puberty… God bless you and your amazingly “delicious” looking and reading post. Thanks again for hosting this week, and for taking time to read/respond to my post.

Congratulations to the book winners. It is extra special to have won a book on Jama’s Alphabet Soup blog. As soon as I saw the candy buttons and button cookies, I was hooked! I love buttons. I have a collection from my mother, and I seem to have collected a few myself. I wonder, “What to do with them all?” I don’t sew enough to use them, but they are way too cool to cast aside. I’m glad Penny figured it all out. Good to know, buttons wink! I will remember that phrase!

How lucky you are to have your mother’s button collection. I imagine some of those are real gems. The more I think about buttons, the more I appreciate them — not only for their functionality, but for their beauty and variety.

Love, love this button winking poem. We recently read The Memory String by Eve Bunting and made our own memory strings with my storage of buttons. A student brought in her collection and is sharing buttons for good deeds done in the classroom. We love buttons!

Button candy from NECCO…one of my all-time favorites, ever! The perfect accompaniment to Penny’s very cute poem. Very happy for Penny, for getting her poetry out there and getting that book deal! (By the way, NECCO is the New England Confectionary Company – very popular around these parts, as you can imagine – and is the home of NECCO Wafers, the original conversation hearts, Mary Janes, and Squirrel Nut Zippers!

NECCO’s been around a long while — glad to see they’re still making those candy buttons and other old fashioned favorites. What would we do without conversation hearts and Mary Janes? I might have to start calling you the candy button man. 🙂

What a delicious post! I can’t believe how you’ve themed it all together so beautifully!! A perfect appetiser for a delightful poem. (Are those buttons *really* lollies? Did you make them – or can you buy them? #askingasanAussie)

Feeling a bit silly, because now that I’ve refreshed this page I see there were MORE photos… that are very clearly candy buttons. (My internet is quite shonky, and obviously stalled half-way through, first time.) I am STILL in awe of candy buttons (especially (!!) the chocolate and edible antiques that didn’t show first time) and… gobsmacked, really. (My sweet-tooth is tingling.)

Reading this post puts me in dot candy and button heaven. I loved reading the backstory of Penny’s charming button poem. And congratulations to Mr. Cornelius for creating a perfect collage to illustrate it!

Thank you, Jama and Penny – Yep, that button “winking” IS perfect. So delighted we’ve all gotten to know Penny and her poems. Penny, I’ll bet your buttons are popping this year! Congrats on all the successes.

I loved those candies on paper when I was a kid – pure sugar if you don’t include the bit of paper as the added fiber!
This was a beauty of a post. I just bought some beautiful lime green buttons in a small jar. My grandmother was a seamstress, so I was often surrounded by buttons to sort and play with! I hope velcro NEVER replaces buttons…it isn’t nearly as wonderful and sortable.

This was nostalgic as I love buttons. As a child I would rummage through my mother’s sewing box looking through all sorts of buttons. I carried that out as I got older, buying my own buttons for all sorts of projects waiting to happen. Thanks for sharing this poem. – iphigene

Jama, what a delightful and delicious blog. I see why your Teddy Clan loved Penny’s poem. “Tucked-in snug ones, teddy-hug ones.” What a great ending and such a joy for Penny to have Janet help her revise the poem.

My family comes from a long line of bakers and seamstresses so I think both my grandmother and mother would have loved your post.

What a fabulous buttons poem. I am not even a “button person,” but this charmed my unbuttoned socks off:>) Congratulations, Penny–I have your book on order, and I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for hosting and sharing Penny, Jama. Happy Poetry Friday!

Penny’s poem is wonderful! Why am I not surprised? I loved reading the backstory and her revision of the final stanza. It’s perfect! No wonder Cornelius and pals are die hard Penny fans. And those peanut butter button cookies? I’m off to bake a batch!

Yay! for teddy bears, for the wild bears that inspired them, for teddy-buttons, & for Penny’s button love.
The process with her editor on the button poem is cute as a button to read. And the results close everything up sweet + tidy.
I love the poem, especially
“buttons wink goodnight”
c. Penny Parker Klosterman
It is so loving that she began it after time in her mom’s sewing room.

Appreciations for the translation of the poem.
And for celebrating Penny’s dragon-knight p.b.

Finally, altho I’m getting wordy here, I like to look for special candy for our grown daughter’s holiday stocking & these candy buttons are top of my list.

Every time I come to your blog, I marvel at how you link food and poetry and art. You even have a teapot with buttons! Holy cow! I wish I lived in Colorado so I could come enjoy those cookies and tea! And I LOVE that the poem is in English and Spanish. I work at a dual language school and am always looking for new Spanish resources.

We love Penny, indeed! I, too, am the daughter of a seamstress, and buttons are the basics, aren’t they? Penny’s words remind me of what an excellent editor Janet is… great point about the need for “teddy” to make clear an nonillustrated poem. Congratulations, Penny, on the publication… here’s to many more, along with many more picture books! xo

Hi, Jama, congrats on another delicious post! You are second-to-none in creating the most wonderful visually rich blog posts– along with fabulous content! And YAY for Penny too! How did I not know that “Buttons” in the PFAC was her FIRST published work?! That makes it even more special! Congratulations to us all!

Oh, Jama, you never disappoint. I think I scrolled through your DELICIOUS photos six times before I even settled in to read the post. I would like to come to your house and play with all your food props. Those button plates and teapot are swoon-worthy!

And so is Penny’s poem! I loved it when I first read it in PFAC, and I love it even more now that Cornelius has given his button-eye wink of approval. Thank you for featuring one of my favorite kidlit peeps. ❤

I loved button candy when I was a kid, but those chocolate buttons look scrumptious! Hooray, Penny, on having your wonderful poem included in the Poetry Friday Anthology, and on your picture book! I still keep a tin of buttons with my very neglected sewing basket.

Thank you, Jama, for hosting AND for Flutter and Hum! I shared it with our Spanish teacher and she’s excited to share it with her students. Hopefully, they’ll be inspired to write their own poems!

What a delightful smorgasborg of a post–A visual and literary and gustatory delight! I love you how you wove it all together. Tonight I’m posting for the first time and sharing a poem I wrote about my love for playing with words. I wrote the poem months ago, but hope it is still okay to share here (even though it was on my blog on an earlier post). Thanks for hosting and please let me know if I did not do all of this correctly!https://mbhmaine.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/772/

Thanks for writing such a darling poem, Penny. Had a lot of fun putting this post together. Appreciate your backstory about the poem, too. I like imagining your mom’s sewing room, all those buttons and her making clothes for 4 girls! And thanks for the teddy-hug and button-wink. So adorable.

What a scrumptious poem and post…again! I love reading Penny’s behind-the-scenes scoop; process work is so interesting. As a button fan myself (with buttons in jars), this delighted me through and through. Thank you both! xo

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